Dry July is over and done with for the year, but for those of us wanting to continue the teetotalling spirit, reducing alcohol intake can sometimes prove to be a challenge when aiming to extend it in the long term.
We’ve got some great tips and motivation to help you move beyond Dry July.
The benefits of cutting back your alcohol intake
There are many reasons why giving up the drink for more than just one month can be a healthy goal to work towards. Here are some of the benefits of cutting back your alcohol intake (a reminder to help keep you motivated and on track!).
Reducing alcohol intake can:
- Help you lose weight
- Improve your energy levels
- Improve your skin
- Improve your sleep
- Help you save money
- Make you feel generally healthier
Tips to help cut back on alcohol
Takapuna-based Jenny Craig consultant Kirsty has put together her top tips to help cut down your alcohol intake:
- Choose non-alcoholic, low kilojoule mixers and pour your own drinks. Soda with fresh lemon, lime and mint is a good choice, or a non-alcoholic punch.
- Serve your non-alcoholic drinks in a wine glass so you don’t feel like you’re missing out.
- Save some money and be the designated driver.
- If you choose to drink a little, have a wine spritzer – half wine, half soda water, or a shandy using light beer and diet lemonade.
- Alternate alcoholic drinks for non-alcoholic drinks.
Interesting fact: Sugar content in alcohol
Jenny Craig gave us some info we thought was really interesting; did you know the average bottle of wine has equivalent to around 48 teaspoons of sugar in it? If you’re trying to stabilise your energy levels, lose weight or generally eat healthier, you may be interested to know how much sugar is in alcoholic drinks:
Double shot of spirits- five teaspoons of sugar
Average beer -11 teaspoons of sugar
Average RTD – 12 teaspoons of sugar
Cider – 14 teaspoons of sugar
Bottle of bubbles – 35 teaspoons of sugar
Bottle of wine – 48 teaspoons of sugar
Image / FreeDigitalPhotos.net -Paul